With your organized notebook planner you will be able to put together a detailed list of materials you desire to use in your new home. Building specifications are very important because they describe the work and materials to be used in your new home. The best specification list will help minimize future misunderstandings during construction. The effort you spend developing and planning your building and material specifications will pay off dramatically in getting the home you want at the best price. The building specifications will describe each area of construction, the materials being used, and the allowance for selecting your decorative choices. These areas will include the foundation, framing structure, roofing system, exterior finishes, electrical, air-conditioning, plumbing, insulation, windows and doors, painting, tile work, flooring, countertops, cabinetry, landscaping allowance, and all other areas of construction. Your new home will be made up of hundreds of building components. Each component will require price vs. quality descriptions. Either you will make these decisions or your builder can recommend some standard building ideas. This material specification sheet will be part of the final contract as an addendum and will be followed throughout the construction process. Ask us for our “Standard Building Specifications and Materials List” for more information and ideas. We can assist you in putting this specification sheet together in just a few hours.

8. Pricing a New Home

With a complete set of plans, structural engineering and a well thought out specifications list, you are ready for your builder to give you an accurate price for your new home. The builder can now start working on all the material take-off and bidding proposals. Subcontractors will bid on each of their areas of expertise. Price proposals will be entered into the computer budget category. The decorating selection allowances will also be entered into the budget price. The budget categories will have line items with cost code numbers that correlate with GBN Construction's Master Builder computer system. The totals from the project budget will be the final price that is used in getting you our best-estimated cost. We will review the construction cost with each client and add or reduce the cost of the construction where necessary.

9. Building Contract Documents

A certified custom homebuilder will have a standard contract to handle each style of an agreement with the new homeowners. Typically two types are used by GBN Construction. The first is a Turnkey Contract, which is a fixed price based on a fixed set of construction specifications. The second is a Cost Plus a Fee Contract where the buyer and GBN enter into a partnership on a predetermined set of specifications and reasonable budgets with the goal of the buyer obtaining the most house for the money and can recognize financial gain with their decisions. These contract documents detail important legal obligations you should understand prior to signing. If you are uncertain about your rights or obligations under this contract, you may wish to consult an attorney. Any statements not written into this document do not bind the builder or the homeowners. The purchaser represents that he or she has read and understands this entire contract, including the agreement for binding arbitration of disputes related to this contract. The purchaser also represents that he or she is relying upon no verbal statements, promises or conditions not specifically set forth in this contract. It acknowledges that the builder is relying on these representations and would not enter into this contract without this understanding.

10. Breaking Ground

At this time construction may start by submitting the blueprints and engineering to the City for permitting and applying for any required architectural approval. If there is an existing house to be demolished and trees to be removed, this will be the first step in starting construction on the site. Piers and/or the foundation are the next step to starting construction and will be the beginning of the structure to come.

An interior designer has been selected by our staff to assist you in your decisions. Colors, textures and proportion will be considered professionally with the organization of materials for your approval. All the information will be detailed in written form for ready access by our project manager.

It is important for the client to make all their selections as early as possible so as not to slow down the building construction process. GBN gives our homeowners a timetable of the construction process to help them track and make selections that are required. Please review our timetable for the order of selection.

Our team at GBNCONSTRUCTION, INC. would like to be your homebuilder of choice and we look forward to working together with you on your new home. Call us at 904-725-3338 any time to schedule an appointment.